


Reanimate me

by Seven_Alice



Category: Herbert West - Reanimator - H. P. Lovecraft, LOVECRAFT H. P. - Works, Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Based upon the story with stuff from the movie, Blood and Gore, Fluff and Angst, Horror, M/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 02:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17840606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seven_Alice/pseuds/Seven_Alice
Summary: During his days of student at Miskatonic, Daniel Cain came to enjoy the simplicity of the passing weeks along his fellow classmates, enjoying college life as it goes smoothly.But when the name of Herbert West came in picture, things always went wrong. But still, Dan found himself drawn over and over again to learn more about West and his research, his projects of tending corpses which seemed to scream "Reanimate me"Even when people around Arkham didn't seem particularly pleased, and despite Dan's curiosity in staying by Herbert, there's always something that wants to pull them apart; shunning West from general society much to his chagrin. But later, Dan could openly admit that besides his partner, there are more oddities in Arkham, or in this world for the matter.





	Reanimate me

Something ever present when you come to live in Arkham, is the fact that no matter how clever you're or how much you've studied, there's always the feeling that everything you know amounts nothing at all.

Maybe because of the way citizens would often glare or keep their secrets to themselves; or how they recognized one enough to know who's trustworthy to hear and understand about what creeps in the ever present shadow of the decrepit city; or maybe that's just how Daniel Cain felt from the very first moment. When he arrived he wasn't as oblivious as to look for someone to tell him directions, due the fact his parents warned him of how everyone seemed to solely mind their own business; but still he felt as if there were a huge sign on his back pointing out how he's an outsider. The feeling loomed over him while he made his clumsy way towards Miskatonic; clumsy because of the many directions to go and the increasing anxiety to see them all; to know if Dunwich is as decrepit and full of filth out of the generations like people says, to know if St. Martin Beach is as shady and has the same grey skies as the city does. He needed to push back his mundane childlike curiosity, at least for now, since his actual destination was Miskatonic and in all honesty, the University it's kind of the only easy place to find. Most ways in Arkham lead to it, and if ways weren't proof enough then people would eventually lead him absent-mindedly. For the second thing he learned upon his arrival, is that citizens in Arkham are either pretty dark characters, or students, or erudites, or researchers. Sometimes these qualities joined to create many different types of townspeople, but in the end they were all the same. Other principal trait is the wealth and knowledge; for some reason it also seems that due people's manners, ways of dressing or houses; it quietly implied that they're all, at some extent, knowledgeable and with more than enough resources. Dan learned this during his first day at Miskatonic, where most people seemed to have a clearly advanced knowledge about many fields other than medicine, also biology, chemistry, and it surprised him when they would recite a complete paragraph out of a philosophy book.

At an extent, Dan couldn't help but feel different. Every classmate of his seemed to be studying for the sake of having a title, since he was aware some families had enough resources to never need to work and the acquired knowledge was almost plain in comparison to what they already knew. Other reason could be that their motives for studying medicine are more complex; Daniel himself could say, that the choice of medicine was his; he wanted to help people in any humanely possible way. No one likes to see their loved ones in pain or suffering, nor dying; he learned this desire was particularly strong in him when one of his sisters died by giving birth to her child. A very healthy child, lovely and who considers Dan a big brother rather than an uncle; but the sense of loss remains. The bitter feeling that something else could have been done.

People in the University didn't seem to be exactly like citizens in Arkham; they gave him a none too pleasant nor pleased glare, but it was almost as if they were already used to outsiders, so giving the cold shoulder to all of them would have been troublesome. People in his class were kinda like that at first; thing Daniel wouldn't discuss since he managed to start the career almost at the end of the spring and not at the start of the year like everyone else. He didn't made it in time to integrate to the group, but sooner rather than later he found out they were pretty nice among each other and eventually reached out an invisible hand for him to take and join in as well. For once he felt more at ease, like an actual student and not a hobo trying to find his place in a ball. Maybe because as medicine students they understood each other; it made Dan remember what his dad said about every doctor being a little insane deep into the core- or maybe more than just a little bit. His family attributed it to the fact that during their first day at class they're locked in a room with a corpse- animal or synthetic human, the plain fact it's a corpse doesnt make room for any comfort. But Dan had the feeling that's more like a test to pass before real classes can start.

Still and despite having been accepted into the group, there's always the feeling that every story his classmates tell him, every note he takes in class, every quiet praise after an approved tests; there's always the feeling that he's missing something, that he never knows just enough. If he was missing something about the class, or about Miskatonic, or about Arkham in general; Dan had no idea. He guessed he's missing a lot of stuff from all three of them; and the feeling he actually knew nothing at all returned bitterly. It wasn't really his fault neither his classmates', things are just like that sometimes. Like when weird things happened around the University or city, and some people didn't seem unnerved in the slightest. And when Dan would dumbly ask if these were normal, they would just say it isn't. Not like they were about to say anything else, but he got the indirect. Like they were saying that yeah, of course it's weird, but none too weird in comparison to what's usually seen at Arkham. What's usually seen, another question to throw into the pile that's already towering over him and daring to crumble down.

Dan realized that after one of his classmates was attacked by the dog guardian of Miskatonic's library, some teachers and other students said it was uncommon since the hound is usually friendly; but he later heard from the librarian that it wasn't the first time the dog attacked. He refused to say anything else, though. Just like people refused to comment about how a mummy of the museum was almost robbed the other day under unknown circumstances, or how some Graves of the Christchurch cemetery were ransacked; it might have been a notice worth a page in the newspaper of Dan's hometown, but it seemed as the everyday's morning toast for people in Arkham. Daniel wondered if he'll ever get used to it and stop pointing out these facts to his classmates as if they were a big deal, just for them to shrug it off casually.

It was after his classmate was attacked by the dog, that the others dragged him into investigating what happened. Dan kinda found himself touched by the way they all seemed like a big family; way different from the other careers. If they were a bit (or a lot) insane like his father said; then that seems to be a good thing as long as they can share the insanity among themselves, and turn it into friendship not long after. It was pleasant to feel like he belongs for once, some of his fellow students invited him for drinks every now and then, offered him to join their study breaks and a few girls made meals for him as soon as the whole group accepted him; particularly Megan Halsey, daughter of the dean of Miskatonic's Medicine faculty. Unlike the others, she knew from her father how Dan got sick weeks prior and could only start his career almost at the end of spring. It was kind, despite she wasn't quite aware what Dan's sickness was, she never pried and that's perfectly fine. Dan also found himself worried over Jack; the assaulted student. The dog didn't bite him by some miracle, but unluckily it's claws were sharp enough to make him need a bandage around his torso and left shoulder for the next few weeks. Jack was pretty bold, usually dragging Dan to get drinks and impress some girls; thing never ended quite well as he usually made a mess out of himself. From that Dan learned he had to stay as sober as possible to help his classmate get through the night in one piece. It was Dan's discovery that Jack had been attacked due the canine pheromone that lingered in his clothing- or in his whole body, for the matter.

Dan felt like it was wrong to pry even further, but when everyone else in the class looked down in silent realization; he had to know. Scientific curiosity, worry towards his fellow student or out of frustration for the fact he's always missing something; Daniel's not sure. But the answer he got wasn't something he expected. Specially because he wasn't expecting an answer at all.

"West"

That was all, from Jack's mouth as he gritted his teeth silently. And looking around, everyone else seemed to be in the same state of mind. Some of them even nodded, and Dan found himself dumbfounded. He wondered what was that about, but the answer never came, at least, not directly. For in the next weeks during his teachers read the assistance sheet, they often mentioned something like "I see West is absent today as well", maybe they have said it quite a lot by now, but just after the first mention Dan came to be curious about the matter, realizing they were talking about another student. A classmate of their career, but they never said enough besides the usual comments of how he's absent. From that on, Daniel couldn't quite believe how often they mentioned that name, and how it was like their motto whenever something was out of place, or something went wrong.

One day he and Megan, as well as another classmate and fellow bestie of Megan named Violet; were about to study in the library after class, or that's what they planned, at least. After walking endlessly in Miskatonic's deserted hallways, joking and chatting, something broke through the quietness of a knowledge sanctuary. A screech, to be exact; an foul wail no human or animal throat can articulate, for it would tear the flesh and broke the trachea if even tried. Dan couldn't quite bring himself to just shrug it off and continue like his companions did; of course the two girls opened their eyes wide and stopped in their tracks, just to continue walking and clinging to Dan's arms in order to drag him. Curiosity killed the cat, and for the sake of Dan's mental health they aren't allowing him to become said cat. Yet, they muttered something. Something that somehow seemed more unnerving.

"West"  
Megan said with a sight, almost whispering.

"West"  
Also echoed Violet, not looking quite content. After a moment they brushed off the matter, and since Dan wasn't asking or protesting, they expressed how it's best to go and study somewhere else. Maybe they proposed their own homes, or dorm rooms or a nice café in Arkham; but Dan wasn't quite paying attention to that part.

His mind drifted as they waked down the corridor and in front of the big, closed door from where the hellish screech came from. And his eyes stayed solely in that place, for a minute or an hour, he wasn't sure. Time seemed to slow down during a moment, like if he were waiting for something else to come in matter of seconds. Another pitiful and infinitely horrid wail, maybe that's what he was waiting for, but it never came. Instead, he saw how the door opened slowly and got a brief look of someone stepping out; eyes widening at somehow expecting something as terrible as the screech, but it never came.

Instead he saw a blur of blonde, messy bangs everywhere; belonging to a small young man. In the filtering lights of the afternoon through the building his hair seemed almost orangish red instead of blonde, and his eyes were pale blue. Dan isn't quite sure of how to explain it, and maybe it was some sort of light trick because he was wearing glasses; but the eyes seemed devoid of any possible light. The moment lasted longer than expected but shorter than he would have wished, for as soon as the blonde student stepped out; he and the girls rounded a corner.

He wondered if that person was West; if that fleeting image of youthful dellusion was the responsible for the inhuman wail, if he's the nameless evil his classmates talk about. Not only them but the professors as well, Daniel found out how while his fellow students and acquaintances seemed to spit the word “West” as a filthy profanity, some teachers said it in a pitiful tone like a basket case. Like a fact with no remedy. And over and over again made him wonder how much he's missing, how much happened during his absence in the career, or if the dread to the name and very existence of said boy came from somewhere else. Surely he should have done something terrible, or at least wrong in his classmates' eyes, for they think he's responsible for Jack having been attacked due a canine pheromone in his system and he needed weeks to get away with; weeks he couldn't get close to any girl in or out of their career. Of course that's pretty dirty, but if the other students think so lowly of him then there's definitely a backstory Dan's not aware of and no one has been as kind as to share it with him. Still the necessity to know more nagged at him endlessly. He once tried to bring it up, straightforwardly asking Megan how's West, using the pretext that they've never been in the same class so he has no face to put to the name (he kinda has one; kinda... Some part of his mind refused to believe the young blonde out of a fantasy is he who's shunned and loathed by his friendly classmates) but Meg wasn't quite keen into saying more than just necessary.

She pointed out how West usually doesn't attend if he doesn't have to, he used to... But only during the first few weeks, that's it. And then she said he's pretty closed off and... Different, different from all of them. Violet pointed out specifically how he's pretty different from Dan. Besides that, nothing else was said, and they left it as if the subject had never been touched at all. Whenever Dan would mention it again, silence would reign, aside from the usual murmur of "West" as if smelling him somewhere... Or if scolding Dan silently for bringing it up; calling the devil by his name. So, he learned to keep his mouth shut when no answers were coming his way easily. He'd rather try to meet the young man in question, but that proved difficult as the blonde seemed to know his way around Miskatonic like clockwork; whenever some laboratory would be deserted during a considerable amount of time, according to teachers that's when West would walk in to do who knows what; and whenever every student would be in class and apart from the library; the librarian, an elderly man named Henry Armitage would say off handedly that West just left, right before Dan and his classmates would enter. Maybe Daniel was being a little paranoid by saying the man he didn't even know was avoiding him; for he's actually avoiding everyone in their class for the matter, but fate laughed in his face whenever he didn't make it in time to a class and his teachers mentioned in awe how odd was that West actually attended, at least once in a week.

Ah, how frustrating. Like the common tests before the start of summer. He wrote about it to his parents, not like it had so much to do with his studies or the little insanity his father pointed he would develop; but still he felt as if they would have no qualms in giving a sincere and honest opinion. His wrote a few things to his sisters as well, and soon enough there were so many letters that it seemed almost ridiculous to send them all and wait for an answer that'll most likely never come. Some of his sisters preferred to talk in person, and Dan found himself wanting to hear their voices and being beside them instead of reading a puny letter of chapped paper in his cold, lonely room. He wasn't lonely in Arkham due his fellow medicine students' enthusiasm in taking him along, but it's true that he can't help but feel a pang of loneliness without his messy and overly big family, unlike his sisters when they were studying. Back then, they had each other during college and even now they still live relatively close, despite already married. Although Dan had no regrets; he liked medicine, and it's actually worth growing a bit insane. Even if just a bit.

When he went to drop his many letters in the mailbox, however, he not only found his classmates having a bit of fun before tests; but got dragged in as well to get drinks- and be chosen unwillingly to be the sober one. Not like he actually wanted drinks today; there's still a lot to study, but it's almost a reflex for Jack and the other guys to leave him to be the responsible one as always. Megan silently giggled at that, but when she and the other girls ushered him to join in, he couldn't say no. It wasn't a hassle, specially with the stress already forgotten and left aside like his numerous letters yet to be sent.

Dan wasn't expecting for it to go on and on, till the moment he stepped out of the bar to realize it was a bit past 23:00. Oh shit. Arkham's shady and decrepit during day, during night it can only be defined as cold and quietly unnerving; Dan hadn't been living here for so long to know, but he's sure that ambiental temperature has nothing to do with the shiver running down his spine upon seeing the isolated streets and flickering lights of the lampposts, which seem to be more for the sake of keeping the antique appearance of the whole town, rather than for lightening the paths and making any more comfortable the deserted streets. His Classmates still in the bar, probably staying there for the night; there's no alternative for Dan but to make his trek alone towards his boarding house, and if luck's on his side, find a mailbox along the way. Which seemed difficult in this overwhelming darkness, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Like the sudden desire to run away and look for the safety of a more illuminated place; desire he kept at bay due the fact it was much more probable to find a brick wall in front of himself instead of his boarding house. There's just the isolated feeling that in a contradictory way makes him see inhuman shapes and amorphous things creeping in and out of the shadows; fleeing from the small light and whispering Dan things he couldn't quite make out as their kind of language is made out of deafening silence. Even the echo of small animals or the snores coming out of family houses were more welcomed, for they're familiar. Well, recognized; nothing in Arkham seems to be really familiar. Hence the sudden urge to leave running like a mad man. But he made it through for quite a while; the proving glares citizens often gave him were absent during night, but instead there was the glare of something more shady or more foul, or maybe just less known and it made said thing unnerving to the point of profanity. Daniel couldn't help but let his mind wander in the fact that there was electricity now and still the darkness reigned; what would be of Arkham if lights were ever out? Sudden and childlike but nevertheless horrid nightmares came to his mind, tales of creatures and mysteries living in the edge of a shadow that occupies half of this world, and is quietly growing and taking over terrain once ruled by mankind. But he shrugged it off, and focused in how there's a mailbox in sight and maybe, just maybe after dropping the letters, he can run with a newfound freedom towards his place, while telling himself the excuse that he must hurry and study for tomorrow's test. As if his brain could assimilate some sort of knowledge at this hour.

Walking a bit hastily, Dan crossed the street drenched in solitude and made his way over the mailbox. Letters already inside, he forgot for a moment the dangerous shades and darkness surrounding him, instead letting out a sigh of relief. He should have been running out of there, but instead found ease in the fact his parents would surely be sending an answers by tomorrow. It returned to him the sense that there's someone he can always return to, even from afar; because he's yet to have some sort of fondness towards entering his small boarding room, alone since his classmates were still just acquaintances. When he was about to turn and leave, however, something caught his glare from the corner of his eye. At it would have been a lie to say it didn't made him gasp.

"Ah- E-Excuse me!"

He blurted out quickly, realizing how he was in front of the lonely mailbox, not yet aware of the presence standing behind him. It would have scared the guts out of Dan (had there been signs of a person, of another living being wandering the streets of this hour? At least an actual one, and not the night dellusions out of Dan's mind?) if it weren't for the fact he was more surprised by the person rather than frightened from the suddenness.

Standing there, under the dim lights of annother antique lamppost, and directly behind Dan; there was a young man of small frame and slim body. Blonde hair seemed to catch a more morning sun tone thanks to the white light of the lamppost above, like the first morning sunray peeking behind the mountains from afar, instead of the orangish blonde that emulates dawn lights before the sun makes its way through the horizon and the dull darkness of the night takes over; the tone Dan saw before during their last (and only) ...Encounter? Can it be considered an encounter, At least? It was so brief and fleeting, but the color pattern remained, details seemed more clear than before despite the dim light. Now, Dan could see closely the messy and long bangs; the small spectacles with circular, golden frames and perched to his small nose, dusted in pinkish freckles that contrasted with the sickly, pale olive skin. But the most astounding, almost overwhelming and dare Daniel to say recognized fact; were these pair of icy, pale blue eyes. Like a sky framed in a thin layer of cold clouds, and the light of the sun nowhere to be seen, because there was no light in those eyes. Like the first time Dan though he saw them, West held no light in his faded eyes. Neither he had light in his face, for the matter; not literal light but the light of life that perpetually shines in every person, in some cases more than others; but instead of having said light turned off, West seems as if he never owned that light in the first place. Like his soft, youthful features held an eternal shadow over them; eyes looking down and thin lips pressed into an emotionless frown. His hands hanged from the sides of his small body, one of them holding unto a sheet of paper- a letter, Dan could see. A letter he surely wanted to drop in the mailbox, weirdly enough at this time of night. But hey, Dan's not one to complain due his position.

So, after drinking in every detail for what seemed like minutes or hours but actually just required a few seconds; Dan moved himself from the path that separated the blonde from the mailbox. Not a word spared by the young man of icy eyes, but Daniel got the indirect; for he made a slow movement and dropped his letter into the box. Maybe Dan should have left in that moment, an unknown company had never been better than no company at all; but couldn't help but held his ground beside the box and stare in a somewhat none too polite way West's movements, realizing how the hand that held the small letter; the left one was hastily wrapped in bandages, pale moonlit finger peeking out. Dan could have stared in silence forever, but something seemed to just made its way out of him before he could stop it.

"You... Are West, aren't you?"  
Maybe he should have said something else, a greeting before going straightforwardly to his biggest question, but as stated before it just came at its own. The question sat in the back of his mind, waiting for the precise moment to be asked with or without Dan's subconscious consent, and to be honest he was tired of it being there for so long. His tone was low and unsure, and he wondered if the young man in question heard him; until he caught how the blonde nodded in such a slow motion that it seemed almost painful. Eyes never sparing Dan a glance, emotionless features still and frigid, but Dan found it didn't matter that much.

Really, Dan should have departed from that cold and antique waste of moonlit creeping darkness, but couldn't bring himself to. The reason: for him, this isn't an unknown company; like the aberrant darkness at every corner. This is West, and even from foul comments and a very blurred brief meeting, Dan knew him. Or that's what he wanted to think, and at this hour a known company was pretty well received. So, instead of thinking in West as a certified troublemaker, Dan chose to see him as another classmate that like him, preferred to stay sober tonight. And it kinda brought him some relief or confidence to finally wrap his head around that matter, for he continued to talk to the young man that is, like him, lingering in his place for no apparent reason.

"Hey, you may not know me but... We're in the same career. I'm Daniel Cain"

He fixed a small smile, trying to make a small chat now that bigger doubts were gone, they could finally get to know each other even in this dark environment, though at some other moment he would have found it to not be a truly pleasant idea. For a moment there was no response, but then West slowly turned and spared Dan a brief glance, icy pupils looking straight into him behind that spectacles, long bangs sweeping through his face by the movement, they almost got into his blue eyes. Unlike citizens in Arkham, it wasn't a displeased glare that looked down at him for the sign in his back or the letters all over his face that pointed out he's an outsider; neither it was the unimpressed blank glare the people at Miskatonic gave him; still scrutinizing but without the intent to look down at him. This was different, emotionless and cold, but also... Tired. So tired, probably not even trying to recognize Dan because it's of no use. But before something else could be said, the glare was gone and West already turned away from the mailbox. If he's not about to point something out, then Dan could take it as his cue to continue.

"I've heard a few things about you, but it's nice to put a face to the name"

No answer. Instead, West slowly started to walk away from the Grove of dim light they were in; paying no more mind to Dan and ready to swim his way in the darkness of black shadows towering over the city during this cold night of spring. Dan had waited for some retort, comment, or at least a sound out of the young man; but it never came. He guessed it was already too late to bother him or himself with small chat. However, seeing the tone of sunny blond get devoured bit by bit by the darkness; he couldn't just bear to see his first opportunity to talk with West get lost before it even started. He still had so many questions, so, he gave into them and asked even if an answer isn't coming his way.

"E-Excuse me, but... How's your full name?"

And in the solitary street, the question echoed and reverberated in the walls of the tall, antique buildings all around, and the blonde stopped in his tracks. Back facing Dan, a few meters away, it could have been a trick of the darkness but he actually stopped. Or maybe not, maybe this is all a hoax and Dan is asleep at the bar, dreaming of the unlikely appearance of the evil student he's yet to meet. But this is actually a meeting, isn't it? And now that Daniel introduced himself, he waited for the blonde to do the same. And soon enough, it came.

"Herbert West"

Dan blinked, hearing it clearly even if the voice was soft, calm; held no emotion whatsoever, and matched with the blonde's frigid and youthful features. Herbert West. So, instead of putting a face to the name he's actually putting a name to the face. Not long after the blonde continued his slow walk, eventually Dan noticed his eyes were glued to his slim figure until it completely faded in the night. Still with what he knew, and still with what he came to know right now; there's the feeling that no matter how much info he had, it still amounts nothing at all.


End file.
